OSBA Apiary Diagnostic Kit

Betterbee is proud to offer the OSBA Apiary Diagnostic Kit. The particular items in this kit were chosen and tested by many members of the Ohio State Beekeepers Association. The kit comes with a manual written by these beekeepers that shows many of the common diseases of honey bees and how items in the kit can be used to diagnose these diseases.

From the Ohio State Beekeepers Association:

One of the many questions that we keep hearing from new beekeepers is what exactly am I looking for when they inspect their hives. That is a really good question. How can you identify pests and diseases, and keep track of the health of the hive if you do not know what to look for, and what tools to use.

The OSBA ADK (Apiary Diagnostic Kit) Committee developed a portable kit complete with tools and a full-color laminated field guide to help identify issues, and provide a tracking form for each hive visit. Our 50 intrepid volunteers put the kits through their paces this summer, and reported twice a month through an on-line survey. From their feedback the committee refined the kit contents along with the manual.